Some people think that kids don't have anything important to contribute, but if you're a kid, you know that this simply isn't true. Kids have many great ideas that are often ignored by older people because of age. However, if you impress people with your way of thinking, speaking, and acting, you might soon find yourself taken more seriously.

Steps

Part 1

Acting Impressively

1

Show respect to others. Depending on your relationship with a person, there are many ways you can show respect. In some cases, this might be by listening patiently when someone is speaking, even if you have something important you want to say. Some other ways you can show respect include:[1]

Taking care of borrowed possessions. When you borrow something and take good care of it, the person you borrowed it from will surely be appreciative.

Being polite. Always remember to say please and thank you, follow the rules, and practice good manners.

Cleaning up after yourself. If you don't clean up after yourself when you make a mess, someone else will have to. This can make people frustrated instead of impressed.

2

Keep your promises. It's easy to forget a promise, like doing chores or finishing your homework. When you break a promise, it's like saying you don't value the person you made the promise with. To prevent yourself from forgetting, you may want to write down a list of things you've promised to do. When you've completed a promise, you can cross it off the list.[2]

In some situations, it may be inconvenient to write down your promises. In this case, you might want to pause what you're doing and take care of it while you remember. You can always continue what you were doing later, when your promise is complete.

3

Control your feelings. Everyone has strong feelings at some point, and these can lead you to do or say things that hurt others. When you notice you're feeling a strong emotion, like anger, sadness, or embarrassment, you'll need to be extra careful. The more you practice controlling your emotions, the better your control will become.[3]

When you feel emotional, ask yourself, "Would I say or do this normally? If I say or do this, will I hurt someone?" If the answer is yes, you may want to wait until you calm down before you do anything.

Taking deep, regular breaths can help you calm down.[4] Breathe in slowly for five seconds, hold the breath for five seconds, and exhale the breath for five seconds. You may need to repeat this a few times, but after you should feel somewhat calmer.

4

Make and keep eye contact. When you're a kid, you might feel awkward looking older people in the eye. It's only natural to be shy, but in many cultures, adults are expected to signal they are paying attention to each other with eye contact. Eye contact is a great way of forming a strong connection to others, which will only make you look more impressive.[5]

Try practicing maintaining eye contact by looking at yourself in the mirror. You can do this while you're brushing your teeth, or you can set a timer and practice eye contact by itself.

It may be difficult for you to make eye contact with strangers at first. You may want to start practicing with people you are comfortable with, like with teachers, family members, and close acquaintances.

5

Care for your appearance. People often judge others on first impressions. By keeping your appearance clean and neat, you may impress others with how well you take care of yourself. You should remember to brush your teeth, comb or style your hair, wear clean cloths, and wash regularly.

Eating healthy is another way to take care of your appearance. Eating well will help you grow healthy and strong.

Regular exercise will build muscle and keep your body in good shape. This way you can impress people with your strength and endurance.[6]

6

Help others without being asked. When you do this, it shows others that you're thinking about them. If you see someone struggling with something, you might want to ask, "Can I help you with that?" Some people are embarrassed to ask for help and by offering you can save them from feeling self-conscious.

Helping others can also make you feel better about yourself. It might seem like a drag at the time, but offering a helping hand can lead you to feeling happier and more connected to people.[7]

Part 2

Speaking Impressively

1

Improve your vocabulary. Accurately using and understanding words will give people the impression that you are intelligent and thoughtful.[8] You can improve your vocabulary through reading, playing word games like Scrabble and Boggle, and by looking up words you don't know in the dictionary.

You might want to carry a pen and pad of paper with you so you can write down words you hear that you don't know to look up later. If you have a cellphone, you can write yourself a note or send yourself a text so you don't forget to investigate words later.

It's easy to feel self-conscious when someone uses a word you don't know, but you shouldn't be afraid to ask questions. Asking someone you're speaking with what a word means is a quick, direct way of learning new words.

2

Recognize the opinions of others. Sometimes, people just want to be heard. Even if you don't agree with someone or don't completely understand what is being said, saying, "I hear you," can be an impressive mark of maturity.[9]

You might want to explain yourself further when recognizing others' opinions. For example, you might say, "I hear what you're saying, and I think you have a good point, but I disagree with you for these reasons..."

3

Admit when you are wrong. This can be difficult for both kids and adults, but if you are able to take a step back and admit when you are wrong, other people will think you are mature. Finding out you're wrong about something also gives you a chance to change for the better, and telling people you were wrong may win you their admiration.[10]

If you find that you're having a difficult time admitting you're wrong, try positively coaching yourself through those feelings. You might tell yourself, "It's OK to be wrong. People are wrong all the time. I made a mistake, it's no big deal."

4

Choose your words carefully. When you're having a conversation, it's not uncommon to say something you don't mean.[11] This can cause misunderstandings and arguments. When speaking, don't be afraid to take a second to collect your thoughts and choose the right words to express yourself.[12]

When the right word is on the tip of your tongue, you can ask others for help. You might say, "I'm drawing a blank. The word I'm looking for starts with a 't.' Can you help me think of it?"

In some situations, there might not be a word that perfectly captures how you feel. When this happens, you might describe the feeling and follow up by asking, "Have you ever felt that way?"

Part 3

Thinking Impressively

1

Take your time. Rushing a thought can make you look hasty in your thinking. When you think that you have a good idea, take a moment and consider your thoughts carefully. Ask yourself, "Is this a good idea, or am I just excited about it?" Ideas can be fun and exciting, but getting carried away can leave people unimpressed.

A good way for you to encourage yourself to take your time is by interrupting yourself. If you feel your thoughts racing, pause and slowly count to five. After that, you can reconsider what you were thinking about with a level head.[13]

2

Use logic. Logic is like a chain of reasoning that leads to a conclusion. When your reasons support your idea or argument in a strong way, you're using logic. These reasons should naturally support your idea or argument without relying on special situations or evidence you can't back up.[14]

When judging the logic of your thoughts, ask yourself, "Do my reasons lead directly to my conclusion?" If yes, it's likely your logic is strong. If not, you may need to re-think things.

Try not to rely on other people's opinions to support the logic of your thoughts. Just because someone you respect said something doesn't mean it is correct.[15]

3

Look for flaws in your thinking. Careful, well-reasoned thinking should take shortcomings into account as well. If you think of flaws first, you'll have a chance to come up with counterexamples. A good counterexample explaining why a certain flaw is invalid can impress others with your thorough approach.
[16]

Sometimes you can spend too much time thinking about all the things that are wrong with your idea. Instead, you may want to come up with only two or three major flaws or arguments against. Try to resolve these with your idea.

4

Plan for your future. What you want to do for work and/or where you want to go to school are important questions that are difficult to answer. Having a plan and setting goals are good ways to amaze people with your preparation for the future. You don't need to think of everything, but a general outline may earn you respect from others. An example plan for your future might sound something like:[17]

"I really want to be an engineer, so I'm going to work hard in school and take plenty of math and science classes. I'm also thinking about joining the robotics club because that will look good on college applications. For school, I'm thinking about going to MIT, but it might be too expensive, so my backup is Georgia Tech."

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